


can't you hear me crying out for guidance? (yes, we hear but we don't care)

by thymia



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Canon Dialogue, Dialogue Heavy, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fights, Fist Fights, Gen, Manipulative Relationship, Mental Instability, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Wrongful Imprisonment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:03:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29663556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thymia/pseuds/thymia
Summary: i think about tommy's character a lot, did you know? his stream getting stuck in the jail with dream had so many good lines i just couldn't help but try to write something about it. and i did, over the course of a few hours last night.will NOT be updated, this is a oneshot, and will not include any further lore/plot.[title from we will commit wolf murder by of montreal]
Relationships: Clay | Dream & TommyInnit
Comments: 4
Kudos: 49
Collections: Completed stories I've read





	can't you hear me crying out for guidance? (yes, we hear but we don't care)

**Author's Note:**

> "And why should anyone else offer their help? I mean, just look at the way you never took care of yourself." - Hope by Roar
> 
> some more unconventional character designs in here. no twinky, cutesy hunter dream. he's a demon. he wore that light hunter stuff people portray him in before he got the server, but let down his guard once he became the owner of it. hardly wears armor, wears bulky, heavy clothes, and giant platform boots. he dresses for intimidation not for combat, he knows his gang of friends will fight on his behalf if need be. (he gets his crossdressing/girl!dream clothes at dollskill)  
> once again, heavily written around a VOD, Tommy's VOD when he got stuck in prison. All of the dialogue is from there, altered slightly in a few parts. dialogue heavy but also sort of a character study?

Tommy was doing well, doing better now. He had his best friend back, they didn’t die, he got the man who ruined him put in jail for…Forever! Or, until he needed Dream and his book to bring back someone he cared about. He had a hotel, his very own grand suite at the very top, his first real home. That wasn’t a hole in the wall or a hole in the ground. Maybe he didn’t build it himself, but he was always shit at building and he contributed enough. He looks at the all the red concrete in the hotel and he thinks that all the pricks he got while gathering the roses for the dye were worth it. He looks at the hotel itself and thinks that it’s all been worth it for this.

Everything seems to be settling into a sort of new, comfortable, calm, normal. Sure, the Egg was fucking weird, but it also had to do with BadBoyHalo and he was fucking weird so it made sense. Snowchester was doing fine it seemed, they discontinued their nuclear project after almost blowing Tommy up. And all of this good was because Dream was gone! He was the catalyst for all of this, everything, every bad thing in this world, it all comes back to him. The Disc War started because of Dream, L’Manberg’s War for Independence started because of Dream, every time L’Manberg blew up it came back to Dream. Everything was Dream’s fault, and it was beyond time he pay.

Tommy has his discs, and his hotel, and Dream was imprisoned but he still felt there was something missing. Loose ends he needed to tie up. He couldn’t explain it, he just had to see Dream one last time, as much as he hated to. Truth be told, he really hated that prison. It was so huge and terrifying from the outside and even worse on the inside. Tommy had bad memories associated with blackstone, obsidian, and lava, and Dream’s cell was so small, triggering his claustrophobia when he visited.

But, it’d be fine, he told himself. Sam would be there, and he trusted Sam, more than anyone right now. It was just one last visit, to…Reassure himself. To give Dream a piece of his mind one last time before closing the book on this part of his life, to finally wash his hands of the whole situation. Even though, Tommy told himself, the blood was not on his hands, but on Dream’s.

By the time he got to the prison though, he was shaking. Nervousness and the cold interior of the place, it made his hands tremble and his teeth chatter. He kept pacing too, rambling on more than usual probably, it felt like he was talking more than he usually did at least. And every time he tries to talk, Sam just blew him off, which…It hurt but he understood, honestly. Warden Sam was a little scary, but Tommy understood the reasoning, he just preferred Sam Nook.

Tommy huffed yet another sigh as he waited for the lava to recede and ran his hands through his hair, instinctively reaching to put it up before remembering he cut it. Well, Tubbo did, they cut each other’s hair after Techno turned on Tommy, Tommy shedding the mullet he had grown to look like Techno and Tubbo just couldn’t see past his bangs anymore. He bit back a whimper at the sight of Dream, standing in the middle of his cell, gripping a raw potato in one hand.

He wasn’t threatening, Tommy told himself, staring right back. As soon as Dream saw Tommy, the blank stare fell away and quickly turned to a smile, he lost his mask when he was imprisoned, Tubbo confiscated it and stored it away with the rest of Dream’s armor. It was hard for Dream to be menacing if he couldn’t hide his expressions behind his mask. And he didn’t have his clothing anymore-Well, he had clothes, an ugly, drab gray v-neck and gray pants. He just didn’t have his heavy, dangerous looking techwear, he didn’t have the giant boots that made him taller than nearly anyone. They’d stand eye to eye now, properly, and Tommy couldn’t be scared of a man who wasn’t even taller than him.

It did hurt in some way, to see how well Dream looked when Tommy got to the other side. It hurt, because Tommy was in exile for only little over a week and he was ruined, his eyes grew dim, and he grew dirty and careless, but Dream was fine. He’d been in jail for a month, eating only raw potatoes apparently, with no light besides the curtain of lava that fell in front of the cell. But he looked fine besides the mangy stubble on his jawline, and his cheeks looked a little hollow but Tommy had no way of knowing if Dream always looked like that. His eyes were still clean and bright, and it doesn’t even look like the green dye in his hair had faded, Tommy could only tell Dream was a blond because of his light roots and pale eyebrows.

Still, a month in jail, and clearly he hasn’t changed like he claims to have. He keeps that faux cheery tone to his voice, acting like nothing at all is wrong, and like he is just oh so confused as to why Tommy doesn’t want to fucking see him again.

“This is my last time vistin’ you, so anything you want to say to me now, you can-You _have_ to say to me now. ‘Cause um, I’m not gonna see you again.” Tommy said matter-of-factly, unable to help but cringe when Dream spoke next.

“..Why?” Dream asked, all small sounding and pathetic and what a fucking lie.

“Are you-Fuckin-What the fu-What the fu- ‘Why?’? Dream, you’re a- you’re a- you’re not a- You are _the_ wrong’un, a’right? You are the pinnacle of villains on this server. You’re a fuck, man,” Tommy sighed, he hated how he got around Dream, he hated stumbling over his words like this. It wasn’t from fear at least, it was from pure anger this time. “I don’t wanna- I’ve been movin’ on, alright? I’ve been suffering from success, while you weren’t here!”

“Me too… Except without the success part, just suffering.” Pity, again, and Tommy cringed again. Not for that, but for the haunting sound of an Elder Guardian cursing, he’d have trauma from that too if he had to hear it one more fucking time, he’s sure of it.

“I mean, you had it coming.” Tommy shrugged, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his cargo pants.

“Yeah..” Dream sighed, frowning down at his lectern.

“You know you’ve-“ Tommy broke off with a panicked sigh, he was getting sick of the lava, hearing it bubble and pop. He hid his hands so Dream couldn’t see him shake, he did not want to appear weak in front of him, he knew Dream would fucking hold it over him. “This lava is really annoying. You know you kind of- You had this coming, Dream. Like all of this shit, right? Like-Why is there-?” He sighed again, running a hand through his hair, glaring at the crying obsidian as it dripped onto his hair.

“Yeah! I’m-I’m not gonna… I’m not gonna pity you, man. …You had all this shit comin’..!” He couldn’t help it, he kept fucking sighing, huffing, and puffing and it was getting on his own nerves.

He watched Dream open his mouth and draw in a sharp intake of air before speaking. “..I did! But, ya know… ? I dunno.. Maybe one day, right.” He said, tearing his gaze from Tommy, looking to the lava instead, deciding to hurry over to it suddenly, before quickly pacing back.

“No. No! Have you _seen_ the prison? It’s kinda the most secure thing ever! Dude, you’re not- You’re not leaving here,” Tommy stepped closer to the lava, squinting at it, gratefully spotting the nametag that sat over awesamdude’s head. “Sam’s name’s still- Okay, thank God..”

“I’m just saying, like- Maybe _one_ day, y’know? Eventually…” They both kept pacing, Dream was a little quicker than Tommy, while Tommy took slow, long strides around the small cell, peering up briefly at the chute in the corner of the ceiling.

“I don’t- I don’t- Unless you have extreme therapy.”

“Maybe one day I’ll just walk outta here. Like-…”

“No, I don’t-“

“I feel like I’ve already been changing, like since I’ve came here.” Dream said, dipping his hands into his cauldron before shaking them off and stepping up to Tommy, and then he darted away again.

“Why has this obsidian gone all pinky-purpley, by the way?” Tommy asked, unable to stop thinking about the stuff.

“It was um- Sam changed it.”

“Really?”

“It was just for umm-… Security Purposes.”

Tommy couldn’t help a quiet chuckle at that. “Really, Dream? This is called crying obsidian.”

“That _is_ true…I like to watch it drip…” Dream murmured, tilting his head back to look up at the low ceilings. Tommy slowly following his lead and stared at the back of the cell, watching the crying obsidian drip drip drip for a few minutes too long.

“Yeah-I’m-I’m- This is my last time here. I kinda- I don’t wanna..” Tommy was beyond frustrated with himself. It was Dream, his fault, and this awful room. It was like all his traumas packed into one neat little claustrophobic box.

Dream put on a fake pout, pushing out his bottom lip like a child and tilting his head. “But why?”

“’But why?’it’s like- .. Dream, you’re a villain, pal.” Tommy ran his hands through his hair again, before balling his fists at his sides.

“Well, I mean.” And like that the curious voice and cutesy pout were gone, and his face fell flat.

“You’ve done- Listen, I’m not doing this whole ‘you’re all sad, we’re all happy now’, like- I’ve done this now,” He trailed off in thought briefly, running a hand over his face. “Dream, it’s really hard, seei- This is- What you’re doing now, this is like Exile. D’you remember that? D’you remember Exile? I don’t know how much you remember with all these tears and shit. This is like Exile, man.” Tommy rubbed the toe of his sneaker in one of the small puddles of obsidian juice or whatever the fuck.

“I don’t wanna- I don’t wanna _know_ you.” He finished, staring right into Dream’s eyes, until Dream whipped his head away.

“It wasn’t-…. _Too_ bad, right? I mean, you still- You had…Ya know. Like _we_ hung out an’ stuff.” He shrugged, not seeming concerned with the anger quickly blossoming over Tommy’s face.

“I fu- You fuckin’-! You! Bastard, Dream! You threw my shit into a hole, I can’t go _near_ plains biomes now, without gettin’ a little trembly in the fingers! You- Yeah, no, it was fucked! You’re fucked,” Tommy shouted, trying not to cry, and hating how pitchy and he got and how his voice cracked when he yelled. He sighed and tried to compose himself, he couldn’t let Dream get to him, but it was way too easy. “Where are the books? I told you to write me some books, where are they?”

Silence. “Dream?” He prompted, watching Dream frown and glance around.

“I uh-..I burned them.” Dream admitted, Tommy stomped over to the lectern, prying open the book there and flipped through it. Blank. He went through Dream’s chest, two signed books and a bunch of other blank books. Tommy’s discovery of the signed books led to a conversation about BadBoyHalo and the Egg, and it was too easy to talk to Dream about that.

“Yeah, this is- Ey! I-No, I’m not here to-to gossip with you, man. I’m here to- I don’t wanna gossip with you- It’s pretty big though-Fuck off,” Tommy went off, nearly getting roped back into that conversation again. “Listen, I-.. When I’m around you my brain feels like I’m fuckin’ conditioned to be your friend. But also, if I had a knife I’d just plunge it into your heart, man.. It’s like, I don’t..” He went quiet for a moment, glaring at the wall behind Dream as he calculated his next words.

“You don’t make me a good person, you make me bad, Dream, alright? All the shit that’s happened has been because of you. And I don’t… I’m movin’ onto bigger an’ better things, now, bitch! I’m- I’m done. I’m done.” And by the Divine Primes, that felt good to say. To admit that Dream makes him a bad person, and to declare that he was done was all he wanted. Because, he _was_ done, with Dream, with all the wars and fighting and hatred and death. He was sick of it, and he was done. He was done with how ugly and violent Dream made him.

“Listen,” Dream started, reaching for Tommy but pulled away at the glare the teen sent him. “What if you- What if you just- Like, once a month or something.”

“No. No, I don’t wanna know you in my life anymore, this is done,” He said with a satisfied huff. “Alright, theres-“ He sighed as an Elder Guardian’s curse rang out again, and rattled between his ears. Yeah, he’d be hearing that when he went to bed.

“’Cause you’ve ruined L’Manberg, you ruined s- Almost everything, you almost- You almost killed TUBBO, man! Like, what the _fuck_ is wrong with you, you’re a bad guy. A terrible man. You’re a terrible man, a’right.” Tommy huffed, swallowing dry.

“I did bad _things_ …”

“You’re a bad guy. You’re a wrong’un.”

“Well, everyone thinks they’re right from their perspective.. Like I-“

“That’s not true,” Tommy growled, arms crossed over his chest now. Of course, Dream would think that though, of course he thinks everyone thinks the same as him. It’s not like he’d know that every self-loathing thought that runs through Tommy’s head sounds eerily like Dream, not like he ever spent the entire night with Tubbo, holding him as he shook and sobbed about how everything was his fault. “That’s not true.”

“Well…Well, _I_ think I’m right,” Tommy just stared at Dream in silence for a few moments. “I did bad things, but I did them for good reasons, but-..”

“What d’you mean ‘for good reasons’? You’re a psychopath.”

“But I’ve learned, I’ve- Yeah, I did bad things and I’ve learned that I shouldn’t have done them.”

“No, what-What ‘good reasons’? No, please, please, enlighten us! Please, enlighten _me_!”

“I just wanted to- I just wanted to bring the server together. Have it be…A happy family, ya know?”

“’Bring- Bring the server to-‘” Tommy tried to compose himself stepping away, and mumbling to himself as he cracked his knuckles.

“Dream, you de-You blew up L’Manberg, Dream. You-You tried killing me! You tried killing everyone! You tried hurting people’s loved ones, man. It’s like-It’s like, what the fuck?! You’re delusional, man! And I’m fuckin’ sick-..I’m fuckin’ sick of it. But I do-But I don’t need to go through any of this stress anymore, alright,” He forced a spiteful little smile as he spoke, patting his chest as he continued. “’Cause this is _me_ , doing this to _me_ , now. Not you. You’re fine now, you’re locked up, you’re a bitch. I’m the one giving me the stress here now. But I’m better than that. I’m better than you, alright.” It felt like a million weights lifted from his chest and his shoulders. Owning his stress and his pain, not letting Dream control his feelings, his actions. It felt like standing up to the biggest bully he’s ever known.

“So, I’m done here. You ruined my past, Dream, but you will _not_ ruin my future.”

“I’m not- I’m-I’m- Tommy, I’m- I’m trying to change and be better and not… Be the same person I was, and you- You can visit me, like every now and then, right? It’ll help, it’ll help, alright? It’ll help me…Be better.” Dream insisted, and Tommy could hear the lies dripping just as well as he could hear the stones surrounding them dripping.

“…Fuck off, mate. You’re a loser, ‘cause you lost, bitch,” Tommy sighed, shaking his head. “I’m done here.”

“..Forever?”

“This is it, alright? Goodbye,” Tommy said, stepping over the lowered barrier of netherite bricks, before stopping suddenly at the sound of explosions above. “What the fuck was that..?” He questioned, looking up at the ceiling.

“What the fuck was that?” He shot a look to dream, who stood next to him, staring up as well.

“Sounded like TNT.” Well, he sounded fine, Dream didn’t sound concerned at all.

“Why would TNT be- That was a lot! That was a lot of- That was a lot of TNT! What the fuck,” Tommy raked a hand through his hair, staring up for a few seconds more before stepping away. “Okay, I’m out. SAM!! SAM! SAM!!!” He called through the lava curtain, stumbling back again as more explosions went off.

“WHAT THE FUCK! What the fuck?! Whaaat the fuck?! What was that?”

“Sounds like TNT is blowing up!” Thank God for Detective fucking Dream over here, without him Tommy would be clueless.

“Why is- WHY?!”

“I dunno, sounds like a Security Issue.”

“SAM! Sam, I’m ready! I’m ready to leave! We’re done! Dream, it hasn’t been an honor knowing you. But it will be an honor forgetting you,” He declared, standing by the edge but was drawn back into the cell when the booming happened yet again. “What the fuck!? What the- Holy shit!”

He shot a pointed look at Dream who still stood near the edge of the cell and simply shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“What is going on here. Sam! Sam!” He even started putting it in the text chat in case Sam couldn’t hear him.

**< TommyInnit> sSAM**

**< TommyInnit> SAM**

“Sam..? SAM I’M READY TO LEAVE! I want to leave! I am done here!”

**< TommyInnit> I WANT TO LEAVE**

**< TommyInnit> I AM DONE HERE**

“He would’ve heard you the first like ten times, Tommy! He’s not there!”

“Well, I saw his name! I saw it a mo- A few minutes prior… What the fuck is going on,” Tommy bit back another fearful whine, stumbling backwards as the ghostly image of an Elder Guardian swept through his vision. “What the fuck, I’m seein’ shit!” He mumbled to himself, as he pressed himself against the wall and shuffled towards the back of the cell as the explosions continued.

“Hmm.” Was all Dream could offer.

“Wot? Wot. What the fuck do you mean ‘hmm’?” Tommy questioned, stepping across the room to pull the empty item frame from the wall, muttering about weapons and ‘beating the shit’ out of Dream with the frame if he needed to.

“It’s just interesting.” Dream said with a nonchalant shrug.

“What do you mean it’s in- Wot? What d’you mean? Wot?”

“’Cause it’s- TNT’s exploding, that sounds like a Security Problem.”

“Why-“ Tommy trailed off with a sigh, trying desperately not to pull his hair out. “What do you mean- Let me out! Sam! Sam, seriously!”

“Sam’s not here. Sam is not here.” Dream insisted, almost laughing at Tommy’s desperate anguish.

“Let me the fuck out!! What the fuck is goin’ on. What are the sounds, man..” He grumbled, listening to the booms and the eerie noises of Elder Guardians.

“I don’t know. I-I don’t know any more than you do.” Dream was disturbingly calm about all of this.

Tommy really started panicking, letting out shuddering sighs as he tried not to cry. “Let me out. Tell Sam, I want out. Do you have an emergency button you can press? Like in-“ He trailed off with a gasp.

“Sam..! Is dealing with the Security Issue.”

“What does that mean?”

“Means that you could be stuck in here for a little bit.”

“No. No!”

“Maybe even days.”

“Alright, pull up this border! Pull up this border,” Tommy stepped over it, and bent down trying to pry the blocks up himself briefly before turning to the lava. “I don’t- Sa- Seriously! I _want_ to leave, now! Sam- This isn’t like funny..!”

“Tommy. Tommy, you signed- I-I know you signed a book because I’m the one who wrote it, that said if there’s a Security Issue going on then you can- You-You signed away that you could be in here for up to a week.” Dream explained, calmly trotting away from Tommy. While Tommy just stared, mouth agape.

No. No, that wasn’t part of it. Fuck, he was sure that couldn’t be part of it, though he didn’t exactly remember what he had previously agreed to. And if he knew that this was going to happen, he wouldn’t have agreed to it.

“What the- What the fuck?!” Was all he could say when he got his voice back.

“Yeah, and that sounded like TNT. That sounded like a Security Issue to me, I dunno if you agree.” Dream said jovially as if they were on joking terms.

“What _was_ it?!” Tommy asked furiously, glancing between Dream and the ceiling.

“I don’t know! A Security Issue.”

“Let me out. I can’t be in here for a week! I’ve got my hotel to run, I need to go and spend time with-with my pals, man! I’m getting back into the swing of things,” Tommy turned and faced the lava again, wiping at his eyes, he couldn’t let Dream see him cry. “No no no no, no! Let me out. PHIL! PHI-“ He stopped when Dream approached him, glaring at him through blurry eyes.

“I mean, If you have a way to get out, then.. Let’s-Let’s get out together! We can-We can work it out. We-“ He offered, pacing around the cell, like always, the bitch couldn’t stay still.

“Fuck. Off.” Tommy snarled when Dream stopped by him again. No, this was fine. He couldn’t let Dream control him again, he couldn’t care if Dream saw him cry. He was just some loser who lost to a couple of teens, he wasn’t scary, Tommy told himself.

“Well, then there’s no way out.” Dream said after a full minute of silence.

Tommy stormed off towards the back of the cell again, looking up the hole in the ceiling again. It was too dark to see if anything had happened up there.. “What do-,” He stopped, turning around to find himself facing Dream’s chest since he stepped into the divot in the floor with a puddle of water in it. He stepped out again and quickly stepped away from Dream. “Dream, what the fuck is going on here?”

“I have some potatoes if you want some!” Dream chirped, tossing Tommy a few raw potatoes, he had already given him a huge handful earlier.

“Stop! How-Why- How many potatoes do y- What the-“ Tommy sputtered, he felt like he was having a stroke, what the fuck was going on?!

“I have a bit but…”

“I don’t want your fuckin’ potatoes, man,” Tommy growled, at least he stopped crying. He held one in each hand now just in case he needed to again ‘beat the shit’ out of Dream. “What’s- What’s going on, right? Tell me.”

“I don’t know! I ha-I- You’re- How would I-“

“Really. Shut the fuck up.”

“I’m in here! How would I know?!“

“Look at me. Look at me in the eyes.” Tommy backed Dream against a wall, not daring to touch him.

“I’m in the prison,” Dream gasped, some sort of fear finally showing on his face as he held his hands up not letting Tommy get any closer. “Tommy. I have no idea what’s going on. I’m- I- How would I even know? I’m-I’m locked in a…Room.”

“No. No, this doesn’t just happen. You don’t- I don’t enter here as soon as explosions go off. This isn’t- This isn’t how you operate, man, I know you, a’right? Other people- Everyone thinks they know you!”

“Tommy, I’ve changed! I’ve changed, Tommy.”

“NO! No, I hear people talking about you. I hear BadBoyHalo talking about how you’ve changed and, they all feel sorry for you, ‘Oh! Maybe we should let him out!’ Shut up, a’right? I know you. You haven’t changed. You’re the fuckin’ monster of this server, a’right. Not the Egg, not any of this. You are, a’right,” Tommy huffed, stepping away from Dream and to the lava again. “I can’t be in here. I ca-I seriously-“

“Tommy, I’ve changed. I’ve changed, Tommy. Or, I’m trying to change..” Dream sighed, watching Tommy write in the chat again.

**< TommyInnit> sam **

**< TommyInnit> seriously**

**< TommyInnit> let me out**

“He’s not gonna reply to you, Tommy!”

**< TommyInnit> fr**

**< TommyInnit> No capp**

“He’s dealing- That sounded like a lot of TNT! He’s dealing with- I don’t even know! He’s dealing with something, clearly. And he’s probably not gonna be back for a little bit.”

Tommy looked around again, cringing at the horrible ambient noises that rumbled through the room. “What the fuck are you telling me.”

“I’m telling you that you and me are stuck in here for a little while. Until whatever’s going on is fixed.”

“No! No! I can’t be in here with you! You know I don’t- You know I don’t- I don’t…”

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t or you can! You have to, because there’s no way out. Just like there’s no way out for me, there’s no way out for you. You’re in here.”

“No! No, no! The reason I’m here is to-“ Tommy paused, swallowing dry again, hating how audible the gulp was. “See you for one final time. Because I can’t stand being in your presence ‘cause you fuckin’ ruin things. …Why was there TNT going off?” He asked, grabbing his hair and wiping his hands down his face as yet another Curse rang out. He fucking hated Guardians.

“I don’t know! You’re acting like I would know. I-I’m in a prison, how am I supposed to know about TNT blowing up.”

“You know. You know something.” Tommy sneered, long nails digging into the potato he held.

“What do I know?” Dream taunted, glaring right back at Tommy.

“You’re trying… No, you mentioned it. You’re trying to get out.”

“I’m not trying to get out. I’m not trying to get out.”

“Sam, I want to leave the cell.”

“Go on. Yell. Yell ‘Sam!’. Plead.”

“Sam…? Sam! What’re you telling me then?” Tommy asked, as they stood by the lava again, Dream followed him around the cell.

“I’m telling you you’re stuck in here for a little while with me!” Dream damn near giggled, his words were laced with unbidden laughter, Tommy could hear it. And he knew just by that sound that Dream hadn’t changed. He knew that if he had changed, even slightly, he would regret his actions, he would acknowledge that they were done for the wrong reasons. Maybe he’d even apologize to Tommy for all the grief, and torment, and trauma he had caused him. But, then again, when had Tommy Innit ever gotten an apology. It got worse as Dream kept speaking though.

“We can bond. We can talk, just like old times, right? Stuck together. You know, just like Exile.” Dream’s words were flat, but his narrow face was pinched in the fakest smile Tommy ever saw on a person.

“Fuck you,” Tommy growled, slamming the hard, raw potato he held into Dream’s chest. “Fuck you.” He swatted him with the item frame, the wood scratching Dream’s face.

“Don’t you ever fuckin’ mention Exile to me, a’right?” He huffed, pushing away the sudden thoughts of Exile, but he didn’t buckle. A couple weeks ago, he would’ve buckled, would’ve fallen to the floor in a heap, sobbing at the memory.

“Well, I mean. You only have one life left so. You die in here, then you die. Alright?” Dream said, still grinning at Tommy as he stepped up close to him.

“Yeah, I know. I fu-I know.”

“Okay. So, let’s just be friendly, alright? Let’s not hit each other, an’…Whatever.”

“Fuck you, bitch. Fuck you, bitch! I’ll hit the shit out of you, bitch! I’ll hit you, for you are a bitch! I don’t want to be your company,” Tommy shouted, beating Dream with both potatoes he held now, not listening as Dream stumbled over his words. “I want to be nothing like you! I want to actually hit you! I ah- Eurgh…Okay..! No no no! Let me out! Let me-Let me..” He trailed off in a panic, clutching his head as he stumbled to the front.

“Tommy, this is the best thing that’s happened to me since I got in the prison!” Dream said, having approached Tommy but he quickly darted for the back again when he saw the rage in Tommy’s eyes.

“NO! This isn’t the best thing that’s happened to- You’re the worst thing to happen to not only me but this whole server!” Tommy stalked after Dream, glaring as he pressed himself into a corner.

Tommy stalked off again, trying to calm himself as Dream kept trying to speak to him. “I feel better now. LET ME OUT!”

“Since I entered the prison, this is the best thing-“

“Stop talking, stop talking!”

“We can be company!”

“I will not be your company; I will not be with you!”

“We can stay in here together; we can write books together an’ stuff!”

“No! Let me out! Let me out!” Tommy ripped the chest full of books open, pulling out both of the signed books, and tossed them into the lava.

“What?! Tommy!!” Dream gasped, running over to the lava as if he could get the books back.

“Fuck you, fuck you. Sam will let me out if he hears you making a panic.” Tommy pulled out a few more book and quills and threw those out too.

“W-w-wait!” Dream begged, pulling the rest of his books from the chest.

“NO! You’re an idiot, Dream, you’re a fuckin’ idiot.” He growled, holding both potatoes in both hands again, glaring at Dream as he hastily chewed on the potatoes he held. Utterly disgusting.

“What’s happening..?” Tommy whispered, staring at the potatoes Dream threw on the floor for him.

“Tommy, I don’t know. How would I be- How would I know? If I were escaping I would be gone, I would be outta here, I’m not escaping. I-I dunno, I dunno what’s going on. I don’t know why-“

Tommy inched forward, grabbing the potatoes, watching Dream pace manically. “Dream, fuckin’ stop it, now,” He punched Dream in the shoulder, sending him stumbling into the puddle. “Yeah, shit in your little shit-pond.” He shoved Dream backwards when he tried stepping out.

“Wot? Talk to me now. Talk to me right now.” He demanded, his glare following as Dream stepped out again, pressing his back against the wall.

“..What about?”

Tommy silently searched the chest, empty, looked at the lectern before deciding against stealing the book there and instead tried smashing the glowstone in the corner. The mining fatigue made it impossible though. “It’s gonna take a long time, innit.” He sighed, ignoring Dream questioning what he wanted with the glowstone dust anyway.

“Hey, do you like this precious item frame of yours?” He said, flinging it into the lava.

“It’ll be replaced, Tommy.” Dream sighed as Tommy tossed the potatoes out too.

He had his fists; he could fight fisticuffs. “Nah. No no no, I’m leaving.”

“How?! Tell me please!” Dream’s voice was quickly overpowered by Tommy’s shouting at him to shut up.

“Stop it! You go, you go!” He snarled, punching Dream, and tried to shove him into the lava instead which Dream easily evaded.

“Here, why don’t you write. Take a book, write some stuff in it, write a story.. Maybe write- Maybe you can work on ‘How to Sex 9’ or something,” Dream offered, only for Tommy to throw the book and quill he was handed into the lava. “I’m not giving you another one.” He said, passing out another book, that Tommy instantly burned.

“Let. Me. Fuckin’. Out. Fuck you! Fuck you, bitch! I know that this is you, I know this is you!”

“How is it me?! Explain! Explain how it’s me?”

“Because! I fuckin’ come in here, as soon as the TNT goes off, telling you it’s my final time! I’m done! I’m done here! A’right? I’m done with you, I’m do-I’m not- I’m not going to talk to you.”

“Alright fine! You’re done with me in a couple days then when you get outta here finally.”

“A couple- I don’t have a couple days!”

“You have a couple days ‘cause you have to.”

“I don’t have a couple days.” Tommy growled out through gritted teeth, staring at the lava and trying not to cringe at every noise the building made.

“It doesn’t matter, you’re stuck in here just like I am. You-You’re not any less stuck than I am, there’s nothing you can do.”

“You’re not changed, at all.”

“I’ve _changed_ , Tommy! You just don’t wanna believe it. I didn’t have anything to do with the TNT going off.”

“Fuck you, man. Seriously. Seriously, fuck you. You’ve ruined this. I don’t want to speak to you, I don’t want to get to know you anymore. You’ve not changed, you’re the same old- You’re evil, you’re just evil,” Tommy shook his head as he glared at Dream. This couldn’t be happening, it was some…Fucked up nightmare he was having. Ironic. “Wot?” He whimpered as he stared at Sam’s message in the chat.

 **< awesamdude> You’re going to have to hang tight Tommy. The prison is on lockdown. There has been a security issue.**  
Tommy thinks he might go mad if he has to see or hear the words security issue one more time. He knows he’ll go mad if he has to spend more than an hour with Dream, and it was coming up on an hour and he was already losing it.

“’Gonna have to hang tight, Tommy. The prison is on-‘”

**< TommyInnit> WHAT?! **

**< TommyInnit> WHAT?! **

**< TommyInnit> WHAT?!**

**< TommyInnit> WHAT?!**

**< TommyInnit> VC 2 RN**

**< TommyInnit> VC 2 RN**

“SAM!!”

**< TommyInnit> SAM**

“Nah, he’s not here.”

“Sam! VC 2!”

“He’s not here! He’s not- How’re you gonna talk to him, he’s not anywhere near here! He’s dealing with The Issue,” Dream said, evading more than a couple hits from Tommy. “You need to eat, Tommy, keep yourself- I don’t have that many potatoes left, we’re gonna have to wait ‘til eventually we got more, potato refill from here.” He explained, indicating the puddle under the hole.

Tommy bit into one with a grimace, he hated raw potatoes, any sane person did. “..How long will it be?”

“You signed the waiver saying up to a week, an’ I wrote that waiver. So, I’m guessing up to a week.”

“A week.”

“Tommy, it’s not that bad. Like, we can- He have tons of time to-to bond, alright?”

“I don’t want to bond. I wanna go home. This rule is dumb, this is all dumb, you’re dumb. Let me out now,” He started out quiet but got louder, ignoring Dream’s heavy sigh as he spoke. “This is-This is fucking dumb. You’re dumb, a’right, and you’re evil. And you’re not fun.”

“TOMMY, YOU’RE BEING DUMB! You’re being dumb, you’re stuck in here with me whether you like it or not! Okay? Whether you like it or not, you are in here with me, for a while. We’re gonna talk, we’re gonna have lots of fun.” On the other hand, Dream started out loud but got quieter as he spoke. Until Tommy started shouting and hitting Dream, leading Dream to shout back, following him to the lava and taunted him about how long they’d be in there.

“Tommy, look, you’re in here. You’re in here. And I’ve changed, I have changed. And you’re in here with me.” Dream said quietly, and Tommy has no idea how he can lie so perfectly, usually he hides his face, he shouldn’t be that good at keeping his expression blank.

“Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me,” Tommy sighed, glaring at Dream. “Is this serious? Dream? I was about to be done…” He huffed and puffed, looking between Dream and the lava.

“Nah… Do you have any more potatoes,” He asked quietly, grimacing at how pathetic he sounded. “Okay…Guess I gotta tough through this week. A week? Week? I-No…”

“It could be a week, it could be shorter, I dunno.”

“Could it be longer?”

“No, it can’t.”

“’Kay. Se-Seven days…! And you’re gonna be in here the whole time.”

“Yes. Where else would I go. Am I gonna fairy dust, poof outta here.”

“Ah, fuck… No, I’ve gotta go,” Tommy sighed, cringing at the sound. He wasn’t sure if it was even real at this point, or if it was just an echo of a Curse, ringing through his brain. “I’ve gotta go.. I can’t..I can’t do this..Oh no….” He groaned, staring down the lava.

This was just like old times, in the worst way possible. At least in Exile he had a few other visitors, and he had a range of motion albeit a little limited. Here though, he was stuck. Stuck, in a tiny dark box, full of most of his fears, and the one person he hated in the world. The one person who could really ruin him. A week, stuck, here, in Hell, where no one could hear him, where no one cared. It really was Hell, and Dream was the devil, a daemon at the very least.

He broke down in front of the lava, falling to his knees and pressed his hands over his ears. He was sick of it, of Dream talking, of the noises of the prison, and the Guardians, of the popping of the lava. He forced himself not to care what Dream thought as he rocked and sobbed, sobs eventually quieting until Tommy was just humming to himself as he drowned everything out. Dream had seen him worse, and he couldn’t care what Dream thought. He couldn’t let Dream get to him. He couldn’t, not if he had to spend a full week trapped with him.


End file.
